


More Than Friends

by Jacqualine



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/M, One Shot, Shirbert, V Day sucks, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacqualine/pseuds/Jacqualine
Summary: Anne hates Valentine's Day, Gilbert suggests they hang out because everyone else is busy. Will Anne finally figure out that Gilbert loves her?
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 103





	More Than Friends

**Author's Note:**

> One more because I got this stupid idea in my head before I went to bed last night.
> 
> Most of these songs are old because...I am old. Side part, skinny jeans and crying laughing emoji old. LOL If you don't know them, it's alright, they all are about loving a friend. 
> 
> ps I don't particularly like the song by Jason and Meghan but it fit the theme and title. But all the rest are great songs.

"God I hate this day!" Anne grumbled as she collapsed into a chair next to Gilbert. He was in the library, he was supposed to be using the period to study, he had a spare period every day before lunch, thanks to taking a few summer courses in grade nine and ten. He had planned back in the very first semester of grade nine to take some summer school classes for math and french, that way he got a jump on the required credits he needed to graduate and he could use those spare periods to work on his harder university prep classes in his final year. Anne had done the same thing, so they often studied in the library together before lunch. 

"Friday?" Who hated Fridays?

"Valentine's Day. It's so annoying watching girls get themselves tied up in knots for this stupid day. Worried about if "so and so" will send them a rose, or buy them a card, needing the attention of a boy for validation. And if they have a boyfriend, watch out, there is a lot of ridiculous pressure on the boys too. If they don't buy the perfect gift, or spend enough money, then it sends a clear message that they don't love their girl or just aren't worthy enough. All of this brought to you by large corporations trying to make money. The same corporations that tell us the rest of the year we are too fat, too skinny, too ugly, and an endless barrage of attacks telling us how worthless we all are. You should spend everyday of the year showing the person you love how special they are." She took a deep breath after her rant, and started digging in her purse for something.

"Being single on Valentine's does come with challenges." He agreed. 

"I should have told Marilla I was too sick to go to school today." She said to him, finally finding what she wanted in her bag with an "a ha!" and pulled out a black scrunchy and proceeded to pile her hair on top of her head in a messy bun. 

"And risk your perfect attendance award?" He felt a gentle tug at his heart, they had been competing for the award through grades nine and ten but he had missed a lot of school when his dad got sick and had eventually died the previous year.

"It would be worth it." 

"Why don't we hang out after school? Everyone is busy tonight anyway, Bash is taking Mary to some Bed and Breakfast in Cape Breton for the weekend. We could order pizza, listen to music and play some games." It wasn't an unusual offer, they had hung out on plenty of nights together, playing Scrabble, Trouble, cards or video games. 

"That actually sounds good. I'll come by around 6." They both turned to their books, and fell into a comfortable silence.

It wasn't like it was a date. She had said that to herself at least four other times while she was getting ready. It was two friends hanging out and playing some board games, nothing romantical at all. Still she put on a pair of black jeans she knew made her butt look good, and weren't so tight that her stomach would hurt after eating several slices of pizza, she paired the jeans with a basic black cotton long sleeve shirt that was tight, clinging to her curves and had a slight v in the neckline. It looked a bit sexy but not like she was trying.

Why was she trying? Gilbert only liked her as a friend, that had been made very clear by the way he treated her. "Just give it up. It is never going to happen." She told herself before running to get her boots and coat on so she wouldn't be late. Then she walked to Gilbert's house, three houses down on the left, with the big crab apple tree out front. 

She rang the doorbell and when he opened it she exclaimed "Honey I'm home".

"Hey, thanks for coming and saving me from a boring night." He stood by while she took off her jacket and hung it in the closet while she took off her boots and put them on the thick rubber matt for slushy, snow and salt covered boots. Then she found her cozy green slippers that Bash had gotten her for Christmas, a pair for her to keep there because she was over there so much, and stuck her feet in them. 

"Did you order yet? I'm starved."

"Yeah, it's on the way but no time guarantee because of V Day they are busier than usual."

"Makes sense. What did you get?"

"Just a pepperoni pizza, some wings, garlic bread..."

"Is that all?" She joked. "It sounds perfect." 

They went into the kitchen to get some drinks, she got a glass of iced tea, he got a can of Mountain Dew, then they went to the living room, Gilbert had piled up the board games on a side table and they decided to start with Trouble. Each one of them taking two colours and playing them at the same time to make the game more exciting.

"I just love the sound of the "popomatic" bubble." Anne said hitting the bubble a few times to make the popping noise, while Gilbert got his phone and started playing music on the bluetooth speakers. The first song was, "Layla" by Eric Clapton, which Anne hummed along to as they began their game. 

Gilbert had three blue and one yellow pieces "home", against Anne's two red and no greens, when the bell rang to announce the pizza was there. She went into the kitchen to get the plates ready and to get them more drinks, while he went to pay, meeting her in the kitchen with the food. "Very funny Gilbert." She frowned when she opened the lid of the box to a heart shaped pizza.

"It was the special, plus it came with these." He held up a back of assorted Lindor truffles.

"Oh...I call the white chocolate ones."

"Naturally." He acquiesced. 

Back in the living room, they sat back down, opposite each other, her on the sofa, him on the floor, and picked their game back up while talking smack to each other between bites of food. It wasn't until they were in the middle of sing shouting at the top of their lungs to "You Belong With Me" that Anne noticed there was a general theme to the music playing. There had been "Whenever You Call me Friend" By Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks, "Hold On" by En Vogue, "Not in That Way" by Sam Smith, "Teardrops on my Guitar" by Taylor Swift. All songs about being in love with your friend. Was that on purpose? Did he like her like that? She sucked in a breath and started choking on some garlic bread. 

"Are you okay?" He asked her, standing up and coming around to assist her if she needed. She nodded and coughed, grabbing her iced tea to wash down the food. Her heart was pounding, not from the near death experience though. 

"Just went down the wrong way." She tried to sound calm while her mind raced. They continued playing to Gilbert's eventual victory, through more songs about friends and unrequited love, or friends to lovers. She tried to act as naturally as possible but inside she was a whirlwind of emotions. Was Gilbert sending her a message? Maybe it was just coincidence, maybe he wasn't even aware this playlist had this theme, maybe he had made it for someone else and just randomly played it for her. 

They continued playing Scrabble, well she was barely playing. Laying down words like coat and chart, while Gilbert was playing blowzily and getting a ton of points. She kept shooting furtive glances at Gilbert to see if he was acting strange, but he was just there on the floor, legs stretched out in front of him, lazily leaning back on one hand, eyebrows furrowed as he studied his letters and the game board, he was acting totally normal. She was being silly, it was a coincidence and nothing more. She had let her imagination run away, that was nothing new, and had almost allowed herself to believe that Gilbert Blythe wanted to be more than friends. 

She was feeling calmer and more relaxed when "I Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO SPeedwagon came on. She looked up from her Scrabble tiles for a second and caught him looking at her, as if to gauge her reaction, before he dropped his eyes back to his own tiles, a hint of a blush staining his cheeks and turning the tips of his ears red, just as the lyrics "what started out as friendship has grown stronger, I only wish I had the strength to let it show" were sung.

Fuck it was real. What was she supposed to do? He was clearly making the first move...no matter how vague it was. They had been singing on and off all night so it wasn't out of character for her to sing along with the song. Which she did with, "Cause I feel so secure when we're together, you give my life direction, you make everything so clear". She sang, waiting for him to react. He looked up at her, met her intense stare, she saw his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed, his eyes going wide as he seemed to understand what was happening. 

"Something you want to tell me Carrots?" He finally asked her, slipping back into his casual demeanour, using the nickname he knew she hated.

"I was about to ask you the same thing Mop Top." She called him the name she always used to counter Carrots, but he never seemed to mind it. They were quiet as she played her next word. 

"I did notice a sort of theme with the music you're playing." She finally spoke, hoping that he wasn't about to laugh at her. She could live with Gilbert Blythe never loving her back, she could not live with Gilbert Blythe laughing at her affections for him. 

"Did you?" He asked as though distracted by his game, but she knew him well enough to notice the tension in his shoulders, the clench of his jaw as he waited for her answer. Everything was telling her she was right about this, everything but his stupid, pretty, kissable mouth that was. Was she actually going to call his bluff? She was.

"You know. Cole and Diana have been saying it for years but I never really believed it."

"Saying what?" He asked his face full of suspicion.

"That you have a crush on me. Isn't that ridiculous?" He wasn't the only one who could act completely unaffected. 

"Uh...yeah. Crazy." He said. "Because I don't have a crush on you." He said firmly. She felt her heart sink. How had she gotten it so wrong? Fucking Valentine's Day had sucked her in, the playlist, the chocolates the fucking heart shaped pizza, it was just another fucking Friday for Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.

"Of course you don't." She tried to sound normal but hated the shrill tone her voice had.

"I don't have a crush on you." He repeated. Jesus he didn't need to rub it in. She thought as she fiddled with her tiles. "A crush is for someone you barely know, this isn't a crush Anne. I love you."

"I get it alright, Jesus you don't need to hammer it home...wait what?" Did she hear him right.

"I love you Anne." He got to his feet then and came and sat beside her on the couch, taking her hand in his. 

"You love me?" She repeated. She was dead, she had choked to death on the garlic bread earlier and everything else since then was the result of her brain dying. That had to be the explanation here. No matter how many times she had dreamed of this exact scenario, she never really believe it to be true. Even when she was calling his bluff, sensing there was something more going on, she never really thought it would end with a declaration of love from him. 

His hand had come up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin, he was leaning in and she realised that he was about to kiss her. She worried for a moment about the garlic she had consumed...worrying if her breath was too bad, but he wasn't stopping and she didn't have the will to stop him, their lips met. 'Gilbert Blythe is kissing me' She repeated over and over again in her head while his lips moved against hers. They pulled away from each other just as the next song began, "More Than Friends" by Jason Mraz and Meghan Trainor.

"I love you too Gilbert." She told him, feeling her heart soar at his happy smile.

"So this is us then, Carrots?" He asked her, kissing her a few more times before she could answer. 

"More than friends?" She asked him, and he nodded before kissing her again. "Yeah I really like being more than friends with you, Mop Top."

"I still hate Valentine's Day by the way." She told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him kiss her neck.


End file.
